INDIANAPOLIS — An Indianapolis man will be serving 14 years behind bars in a federal prison after pleading guilty to distributing fentanyl and meth along with illegally possessing a firearm.
Nicholas Karagianis, 38, was busted by Drug Enforcement Administration agents in December of 2021.
The target of a DEA investigation, Karagianis was witnessed on Oct. 7, 2021, by DEA agents selling 62.2 grams of meth and 2.9 grams of fentanyl for $900. On Nov. 1, 2021, he sold 108.7 grams of meth and three grams of fentanyl to the same individual in a parking lot near E. Thompson Road in Indianapolis.
The DEA said it takes as little as two milligrams of fentanyl to be fatal.
During a search of Karagianis’s home on Dec. 8, 2021, DEA agents located a .40 caliber handgun in a nightstand and found 38.1 grams of fentanyl on his person. Karagianis is prohibited from possessing a firearm due to prior felony convictions for possession of meth.
“Fentanyl is devastating our communities at an unprecedented rate. Illegally armed fentanyl dealers pose an even greater danger to the public,” said United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, Zachary A. Myers.
“We continue to work diligently with the DEA to aggressively address this epidemic and remove armed fentanyl dealers from our neighborhoods,” he added.
Following his release from prison, Karagianis will have to serve five years on probation as part of his sentencing.